Guarding Sophie Read Online Free PDF Page A

major at Florida State?”
    â€œYes,” she said. “I thought I’d do something else for a while. Do you enjoy playing for the Sharks?”
    He raised an eyebrow and took a sip of tea. “It’s great. I’d kind of like to know what you’ve been doing, though. I tried to catch up with you a few times when I went home after football seasons. Your mom told me you were teaching, but I never saw you around.” He put the pint glass of tea back down on the table and looked into her eyes. “She mentioned something about a jealous boyfriend.”
    â€œUh, yeah.” She looked away from him and followed a bead of moisture down the side of the glass with a fingertip.
    â€œI’m guessing he’s the reason you’re not dating.”
    â€œPretty much.”
    He leaned forward and rested his forearm on the table between them. He lowered his voice so anyone else in the coffee shop wouldn’t be able to listen in.
    â€œSo, let me put this together. You’ve been here for three months or so. You’re not teaching right now. You left Florida after having lived there your entire life. And I guess the jealous boyfriend isn’t with you, or you wouldn’t be sitting here with me. Am I right?”
    She nodded and stared at the little glass vase with a flower in it in the middle of the table. It was easier than looking at him.
    â€œIs everything okay, Sophie?”
    â€œNo. It’s not,” she said.

Chapter Four
    S OPHIE PULLED BREATH into her lungs and toyed with her iced tea glass. Every time she told her story was a risk, but she was lonely and needed to talk to someone. The relief of getting away was tempered by the isolation of little human contact.
    She heaved a sigh. “There is something wrong. And nobody knows I’m here.”
    â€œWhat happened? And what about your parents?”
    â€œI sent them a text and told them I was fine and I would contact them when I could.” She’d left her former cell phone on long enough to assure her family that she was safe and that she wasn’t going to tell anyone where she was until Peter was in jail or had no way of following her. She didn’t want to think about how long that might take to happen.
    Maybe that was a fantasy. Maybe she was nuts. Maybe she was going to spend the rest of her life on the run. Right now, though, she was a bit surprised. Kyle seemed to be a lot more observant than she gave him credit for when they were in school together.
    â€œIs law enforcement involved?” he asked.
    â€œI have a restraining order against him in Florida. I’m not sure it’s going to help.”
    â€œSo he’s violent.”
    â€œYes.” And crazy, and she didn’t want anyone else to suffer because she’d managed to attract her worst nightmare in human form. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life alone, but she also didn’t want to endanger the people around her. It was a hell of a choice.
    Kyle leaned a little closer, and she got a whiff of subtle, expensive cologne that smelled like the sea. Except cleaner. “I have a secret too,” he said.
    â€œPlease tell me you don’t have a crazy stalker.”
    â€œPeople follow me around, but they’re not dangerous or anything,” he said. She had to smile. “I’m hiding out from my parents. And most of my friends.”
    She blinked at him. “Why would you do something like that?”
    â€œBecause I needed a break.”
    â€œThe usual family stuff, or something more exciting?” she asked.
    â€œOh, it’s much more exciting.” He took another sip of iced tea. “Needless to say, it looks like we’re both trying to stay away from everyone right now. Maybe we should hang out together.” He swirled the tea around in his glass.
    â€œYou’re famous, aren’t you?” she asked. “This might be a problem.”
    â€œIt’s the off-season.